Most historical events are open to different interpretations depending on one's perspectives, which makes debate an effective way to share opinions, improve analytical skills and ultimately deepen our understanding of history. On May 10th, a debate was held in our IB history class on Fascism and Communism, very interesting topics, because the successes and failures of both ideologies are controversial.

 In the debate, our team argued for the strengths and benefits of Communism, with supporting evidence from the experience of the Soviet Union, Cuba and China. For example, the USSR built an impressive railway network, a glorious metro in Moscow and numerous power stations, which did much to support the further development of the Soviet economy under the Communist regime. Furthermore, we criticized the extreme nationalism and exaggerated gender roles of Fascism.

 The other team in the debate made points about the advantages and successful examples of Fascism, given its basic concepts. For me, the argument about the efficiency of the Fascism, due to the union between businesses and the state, was the most interesting. Overall, our debate was a valuable experience, and I appreciate that each of the students played an important role in the event.

Gawon Jung

11 grade, IB